Challenges in digital health literacy

The challenges in digital health literacy are varied. The concept means more than merely health literacy preceded by the adjective digital; rather, it relates to autonomous patients as citizens exercising their right to self-determination in healthcare as well as their political voting rights. Digital health literacy is a prerequisite to being a legally capable patient, and in today’s information society, it is indispensable. Those, who lack it might suffer health policy-based digital exclusion. Not only can the state promote digital health literacy, but bottom-up initiatives can do so as well. Digital health literacy is tied to a number of human rights, such as the right to education and healthcare, which are considered second-generation human rights, while political voting rights are deemed first-generation rights.